Vehicles with roof openings removably filled with panels, particularly the roof panel arrangements commonly known as T-tops have become popular during the past several years. In the T-top arrangement, a pair of openings are generally provided in the roof area adjacent opposing side door openings, the roof defining three sides of each roof opening, the fourth side of each being open to the door opening and normally defined by the raised window of the door provided in the door opening. Such vehicles are commonly supplied with roof panels of glass or heavy polymeric material, which can be placed into and across the roof openings. The panels are supported along the three sides of the openings defined by the vehicle roof and are secured thereto by latching devices mounted on the panels and cooperating devices of the roof, generally at or adjacent the openings. While the roof panel and opening arrangement is popular, the panels are relatively heavy and difficult to store in the vehicle, usually in the trunk compartment, due to their bulk and weight, and, if glass, their propensity to crack or shatter upon being sharply struck or bumped. However, the panels must usually be kept with the vehicle when the latter is not garaged, so as to be available for installation as needed to secure the vehicle and to protect the vehicle from the elements. As a result, the vehicle operator is tempted to leave the roof panels out of the openings without storing the panels in the vehicle to avoid frequent handling of the panels and their in-vehicle storage, thus exposing the vehicle interior to the elements and to intruders when the vehicle is unoccupied while parked. Furthermore, as the roof panels are relatively expensive, burglary of vehicles to remove the panels has become an increasingly common problem.
Therefore, it is one object of the present invention to provide a readily removable and easily installable cover assembly for a vehicle roof opening which selectively can be used in place of removable, permanent-type roof panels without altering the roof of the vehicle or devices permanently mounted thereto.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a lightweight, readily removable and installable cover assembly for a vehicle roof opening in which only a foldable or rollable portion need be temporarily removed and stored to provide substantial uncovering of the roof opening.
Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a lightweight cover assembly for a vehicle roof opening which can be readily installed or removed from inside the vehicle, and which forms a weather-resistant enclosure upon completion of the installation.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description.